In a report released yesterday by The Maxwell School at Syracuse University and Governing magazine, Washington
received an overall grade of A- on how well it manages the government systems that deliver public
services.

Washington was one of only three states in the nation to earn an A- average (the other two were Utah and Michigan).
Of particular note is the state's information technology, which was given an A.

According to Governing Magazine Special Projects Editor Richard Greene, IT was the fastest
changing area of the five categories the report covers.

"There's no question that no state is perfect, including Washington. They all have to move very quickly just to stay in place. That said, Washington is doing so many things so well -- including planning for its technology use, and effectively utilizing the Internet -- that it continues to stand out," says Greene.